


Avatar: New Beginnings

by Moons_Mate



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Crossover, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:07:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24705049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moons_Mate/pseuds/Moons_Mate
Summary: Jesse McCree is no stranger to lies and deceit. Hes pretty good at both, if you ask him at least.But when a mission sends him deep into Fire Nation territory as a spy and potential assassin to the tyrannical and oppressive Fire Lord, Jesse reconsiders every step he took that brought him into this...difficult situation.On the other hand, Genji Shimada has to cope with betrayal, pain and loss of something so vital to everything he is as a person.His bending.
Relationships: Genji Shimada/Tekhartha Zenyatta, Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada
Kudos: 18





	Avatar: New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends!
> 
> Welcome to my story! I hope you are all well in these trying times and i genuinely hope you all enjoy this story.
> 
> I cooked up this idea after binge watching Avatar:The Last Airbender twice in a month ^_^;.
> 
> What? Its that good! 
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

Jesse McCree was a man of mystery and many secrets. He could lie out his ass about anything in the most convincing way that would have even the shrewdest giving their often-misplaced trust into him. This made him an excellent conman and -- believe it or not -- an amazing spy. 

Those who don’t know him would think that someone as loud,  _ brash _ , and  _ ungraceful _ as Jesse McCree could never pull off the darker arts of espionage and reconnaissance, but to their surprise he excels in deception. 

This is why a native water bender is aboard a ship to the extremely hostile fire nation with the intent of slipping into the royal palace of the terrifying and cruel Fire Lord. What he would do there once he made it was still under debate in his mind. If he could not influence the Fire Lord , he would be forced to kill him to end the seemingly endless war between the fire nation and the black lotus with the rest of the world. 

Jesse has done many things in many different nations but this will be the first time he's done such a high-risk mission while also barred from bending and his favorite peacekeeper. 

" _ Absolutely no bending. You must conceal your ability, Jesse. If they discover you are actually from the water tribe, they will kill you on the spot. No. Bending."  _

_ "What about my gun?! It's a regular gun!" Ana stared down at him, eyes cold like a blizzard in the north pole and just about as compromising. "It's been around too much. If anyone recognizes it, it will expose who you truly are." _

Ana's aged voice was crisp in his ears even weeks after he departed from the storm base in the earth kingdom. Jack Morrison's pitying stare was the note that made Jesse accept his future. 

They believed in him. That he could do this, without his bending or weapon. A wild breeze blew into his ears, filling Jess's head with white noise as he stared over the dark about the ocean. The crater where the royal palace stood behind a dormant volcano was a speck on the horizon. He was officially in fire nation waters. 

Jesse wouldn't say he was dependent on bending by any means. He knew his way around  _ several _ blades and different fighting styles from all over the world. He was intimately familiar with guns and armed weapons supplied by the fire nation and usually kept a six shooter with him. 

But Jesse's connection with his bending was integral to who he was as a person. The moon  _ called _ to him like a siren whenever it danced with the sea in the sky. He could feel the power flowing in his veins, so in tune with him that he was only truly at peace when he was near the ocean. 

It wasn't just merely a way to fight and defend himself, it was a part of his very soul. 

Jesse let out a sigh, running a hand through his wind tousled hair. He rummaged through his travel pack and pulled out a cigar and lighter. He lit the thick and  _ fragrant _ cigar and sucked in a lungful of rich smoke and held it in. 

His eyes wandered to the star-filled sky and locked on the crescent moon. He slowly let the smoke escape from him as he stared at his oldest friend, the only one to know all of his secrets and still love him enough to bless him with power. 

The metal door leading to the deck opened loudly and Jesse turned to the ship's captain, letting smoke fall out of his lips and nostrils. Jao was an ancient sailor, leathery skin weathered by the sun, sea and rough winds. He was half deaf in one ear and half blind in his right eye. But he was reliable, cheerful and an honest to god, excellent sailor. 

"Well be up to port by sunrise boy, hope you like spicy ladies and spicy foods. They ain't made like in the earth kingdom." He said loudly over the wind. Jesse smiled. "What would an old coot like you know about _the_ _ladies._ " he teased.

Jao suddenly looked smug. 

"Ya can't tell but back in my day I was quite the charmer. I have 50 grandchildren all across every nation. That ain't accounting for the fellas I've had warming my bed either." A smug smirk curved on his face. Jesse raised both of his brows in surprise. 

"Well well, now ain't that something. I woulda never known." Jao scoffed as he moved closer, shoving his face into Jesse's personal bubble. Jesse moved back slightly with a cringe at the sardine breath. 

"Of course, not Josien, you're a young pup, barely older than my youngest grandson. Ya don't know nothin yet." Jesse pressed his lips tightly together, resisting the urge to belt out a laugh at the holier than thou expression on Jaos face. 

"It's Jesse. And I  _ apologize _ for my youthful foolishness,  _ Sir _ . I won't do it again." Jesse took another puff of his cigar and blew it to the sky. 

"Good for you Joseph. Anyways, get ready to disembark in a few hours. See ya." Jao waved his arm around, walking jauntily, knobby knees high and elbows even higher. 

Jesse chuckled deeply, turning back to his mistress in the sky, and watched her gleamed until the sun rose. 

_ Maybe this won't be so bad _ , he thought. 

\- 

With the rising of the sun, the people too rose. The dock was bustling with fishermen and guards. Women and children stood at the stalls of the fishermen's wives and purchased the fresh catch of the day, trading money that was unique to the fire nation. Thankfully Jesse was given more than enough for survival when he left headquarters. 

They didn't know when he would be done with his mission but Jesse hoped it would be soon. Something about the shadows that moved behind the fire nation citizens didn't settle well with his spirit. 

Jesse waved at Jao as he hassled his crew into unloading their shipments faster. Jao whistled at him and waved wildly. Jesse felt his affection for the insane old man clog in his throat as he began walking blindly into the den of the dragon. 

Jesse walked along the boardwalk, searching for a familiar face when suddenly a hand hooked into his hood and jerked him backward. 

"What the- _ OOF _ !" 

A head full of stark white hair was shoved into his cheek and thin but strong arms wrapped tightly around his torso. Jesse relaxed and smiled wide as he recognized the braided hair tied into a neat top knot, fire nation style. 

"Sojourn, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Jesse bit out as she finally pulled back with a slight sheen on her eyes. 

"A true warrior must  _ always _ be ready for an ambush." She said in a faux sage voice before grinning brightly at him. He chuckled at her youthful exuberance. Sojourn would never grow up from the spunky and creative teenager he knew years ago it seems. Sojourn joined with the order of the white lotus ten years ago after her father passed away when she was only 14. They took her in and trained her as their own and now she was an established, high ranking member of the fire nation military guided by the hands of the white lotus. 

She would smuggle him in with a fabricated history and help him quickly climb the ranks so that he would eventually be introduced to the personal guard of the Fire Lord for an interview. 

Sojourn slipped her arm into Jesses and began leading him into the town, flashing her badge at the customs officers who were attempting to stop Jesse from entering. Her face was cold, eyes sharp and lips thin as they looked at the badge before snapping their attention to her again. This was a menacing, unfamiliar aura that had even Jesse stiffening. 

The two poor fools bowed to her so fast that Jesse swore he heard something crack and they apologized deeply before encouraging Jesse to enjoy his stay in the fire nation. 

Jesse smirked and thanked them before they continued down an ornately decorated cobblestone path. 

Sojourn kept her stoic expression up until she glanced at Jesse and burst out in giggles. 

"Oh , why do you have that expression on your face? You look  _ quite _ silly." She chortled as Jesse tried to rearrange his amused expression in vain. 

"I'm  _ so _ sorry Lieutenant General, please find it in your heart to forgive me. I will purchase a new face immediately." 

Sojourn laughed, punching him hard in the arm . Through his grin, Jesse knew it would leave a bruise later. 

They walked for a while before arriving at a heavily guarded and extravagant home. The two-story pagoda was beautiful, painted red and white and decorated with lanterns that gleamed in the sunlight. Jesse wouldn't mind one bit if he ever had to live in one. He's definitely had worse in his travels. 

Sojourn waved away the two guards. They sent her deep bows and promptly marched away. But not before giving Jesse suspicious and borderline hostile stares. 

"They  _ love _ you." He realized as he watched their retreating forms. 

"I treat them well and pay them well. Doesn't hurt that I occasionally intervene on their behalf when they land themselves in hot water." She explained. Jesse could understand that. There was nothing better than a superior who treated you like a person and nothing worse than one who treated you like fodder. 

"Home sweet home. Make yourself comfortable." Sojourn said as she shot fire into the oil lanterns hanging on the walls, one by one. The living room they entered was beautifully decorated, dragons painted on the walls in red ink. Jesse couldn't help the whistle of appreciation that escaped him at the expensive looking tapestries that hung on the walls. 

"We don't have these sort s of beauties in the south pole-." Jesse stopped short at the sharp expression Sojourn sent at him. 

"Be  _ careful _ . The black lotus has ears and eyes everywhere you don't expect. They have some of the best spying technology of our age." She frowned as she slipped off her boots. 

"I've heard rumors that they even have agents who can manipulate fire bending to make themselves invisible. You  _ MUST _ exercise caution until your mission is complete." Jesse raised his eyebrows in shock. 

"Invisibility huh? There's  _ no _ room for mistakes here." He muttered, hand brushing his beard thoughtfully. 

"Not at all. If you are caught you will be executed. There are things that even  _ I _ can't save you from Jesse. Beware." She warned. 

Jesse sat down on the plush chaise in the living room as Sojourn walked away. Her words reminded him of the gravitas of his mission. This was the fire nation, well known to be unyielding and proud, but also cruel and merciless. There was no court system here if caught doing something treacherous. You were sentenced to death by the fire lord himself. Forced to duel an Agni Kai that was always won by the fire lord. Over  _ 300 _ Agni Kais, and the fire lord hasn't lost a  _ single _ one. 

Brutal and efficient in instilling fear in the populace. 

Jesse sighed heavily, rubbing his face with his hands, scratching at his beard as he centered himself. He could do this. He'd been through so much in his 30 years of life, he’d seen it  _ all _ . He could handle this. 

"I hope you like  _ Lava bites _ , they're all I know how to cook!" Called Sojourn from a distant room. 

"If it's good I’ll eat it." He said tiredly. Sojourn was silent for a while. before poking her head around the corner, a worried look on her face. 

"Jesse...It's not too late to back out if you wish. I personally think this plan is insane so I will not blame you for skipping out." She said gently, walking toward him slowly, a glass of fire brandy smoking in her hand. He accepted the warm liquor thankfully and swallowed the smoky liquid, tasting nothing but ash. 

"It's something I've  _ gotta _ do Sojourn. If I don't do this, people are gonna  _ die _ ." Jesse gazed blankly into his cup, slowly swirling the caramel-like drink numbly. Sojourn put her hand on his gently, perching herself onto the arm of his seat. 

"Are you really okay with risking your life like this? There are always other ways to help , Jesse." Jesse breathed out a soft sigh. 

"I've lived a fulfilling life Sojourn. I'm not afraid to do whatever I need to in order to bring justice to those who have been hurt in this war. It needs to end and I'm going to try my damnedest." 

Sojourn didn't add anything else, sensing the tension written along his profile. 

"I  _ believe _ in you Jesse. You're the craftiest man on this side of the equator. If anyone can do it, it's you." Jesse smiled up at the young woman as she pinched his cheek tightly. 

"Thanks a million, that means a lot coming from you." Sojourn stood from her perch and looked over Jesse with a critical eye. 

"Now we have to make you look and act the perfect fire nation soldier. You've really let yourself go, huh?" Jesse squirmed away from her fingers poking at his admittedly softer gut. What could he say? His gun made things really convenient! 

"I'm trying my best not to be offended right now." He grumbled. 

She just laughed at him before almost forcibly dragging him to one of the guest rooms. 

\-- 

Genji stumbled up the thin stone stairs that led up to the southern  air temple, breath shaky and his flesh _hot_. He was at least seventy percent sure that he had a fever, but he couldn't stop. 

Not after how close he was to the end of his journey. After a long boat trip from the northern water tribe, he was taken north to be healed of his extensive injuries from a " _ vicious attack from fire nation soldiers _ " and they healed his burns and most of his injuries. 

They interrogated him relentlessly. Who was he, why was he found in the fire nation , and why was he left for dead so close to the palace grounds? He was silent, eyes trained on his freshly scarred hands .

They whispered around him, about him, about the mystery surrounding him and his wounds , but he sharply ignored them. He wasn't a traitor , nor was he a fire nation defector. His skin tightened whenever they talked about his lack of bending. He was not a non - bender. He was a prince of the fire nation , and he was going to get his bending back and burn the fire nation to the ground. 

Genji leaned heavily on his staff, heaving shallow breaths at the high altitude of the mountains. His feet were bleeding raw and his legs were numb. But he would  _ not _ stop. Not until he got what he came here for. 

He would not leave without his bending. Even if that meant being the fearful fire bender known to the world. 

Genji took twenty-four more steps before he collapsed. His eyes were dim and he stopped being hungry hours ago. Tears formed under his lids. 

He was so tired. 

So very  _ tired _ . 

Distantly he heard children laughing and screaming, the voice of his brother Hanzo...so  _ happy _ and so young. He heard his own laughter turn into a shrill scream of terror. His heart being yanked out of his very chest and fire nearly burning his limbs to a crisp. 

Genji fainted, releasing a ragged and exhausted gasp as warm hands gently touched his face. 

\--- 

Genji came to,  _ lost _ . 

The ceiling was painted in white fluffy clouds, people flying with the wind under them, circling around each other in harmony. Genji felt dazed as a thick, fragrant smoke cloud blew over him. With every breath he took, he could feel his body relaxing further into the glowing pool of water and his thoughts becoming distant. 

" _ I wonder if I leapt off this mountain, would a recessive _ __ _ gene of a distant Airbender activate and I could fly, like a bird? _ " He wondered. 

A small chuckle behind him broke his daze and he tensed, the pains in his body that he was blissfully unaware of suddenly taking precedence in his mind. 

"Calm,  _ calm _ young one. You are safe and well taken care of. Relax your body and your mind." A soothing and light voice pierced through his struggle and a gentle hand pressed into his rising chest. He violently flinched away from the touch. Panic began to settle in his chest as he realized he couldn't feel his legs, even as he stared at the scarred and borderline mangled mess in the pristine and glowing water. 

"What... _what did you do to my legs!_?" Genji barked out, feeble arms trying to climb out of the stone pool but unable to gather enough strength. 

"You are well , and I will protect you from anything that wishes to harm you. Even if that may be yourself. " The voice said and Genji looked up at the figure leaning over him. 

A familiar face stared at him with serene eyes. Genji furrowed his brow and tried to remember where he saw such a soft looking expression under a bald and tattooed head. Suddenly , a vision of a monk walking into the water tribe ’ s hospital with heavy yellow robes flashed into his mind. This was the monk that saw him wrapped in bandages, strapped to a plush cot in the freezing north with bleary and numb eyes. He met his eyes and then walked to Genji and said something to him before leaving with a water tribe medic behind him. 

" _ Come to the southern air temple to find what you seek. I will help you _ _. _ _ " _

Genji had no idea what that meant exactly , but he had to leave the northern water tribe before they deemed him healed enough to interrogate and the monk seemed harmless enough. He would help him with what he needed. He would help him get his bending back. 

" _ Besides _ , your legs are fine. You probably can't feel them because of the medicine we gave you earlier to keep them numb. They were beginning to heal incorrectly because you began traveling so early, I had to break them again and set them properly." A feminine voice said from across the room. He didn't notice this figure but when she turned around, arms full of cups and bandages, he recognized her as the healer with the short dark hair that left with the monk. 

"You.. . You  _ broke my legs?! _ You must be  _ stupider _ than you look. They were healing fine." Genji spat generously at her. This would set him back from his goal for at least a few more weeks,  _ for what _ ? A dumb water tribe rube thought she could play doctor with his body? 

She scoffed, the sound loudly echoing in the stone chamber. 

"Oh,  _ I'm sorry _ , I didn't know that idiots from the fire nation who travel hundreds of miles on injured legs could know  _ SO _ much about healing, even more than a master like me!" She scowled, rushing over to the pool with short but quick strides. Genji dragged his body backward until his head hit the chest of the monk who then put a gentle hand on his wet shoulder. The water he was resting in was splashing angrily around him, in cadence with her furious words. Genji's breath caught in his throat with shock and a mild amount of fear as every word the healer spat increased in volume until she was shouting in his face, spit flying into his wide eyes. 

"If not for me you'd need to walk with a cane for the rest of your God forsaken life so don't be an idiot and  _ shut the hell up! _ " Genji narrowed his eyes and scowled in mirror of hers and folded his shaking arms to his chest almost petulantly. 

" _ YOU _ shut up you  _ insolent _ ,  _ impudent- _ " 

"All right all right, that's more than enough don't we think?" The monk chuckled as the medic dropped the tray in her hands out of frustration. 

The monk made a slight hand movement and stopped the trays imminent descent to the ground and almost seemingly dragged it to him with magic. Genji's eyes bulged as he realized what he was seeing. _Air_ _bending._

The last time he saw real air bending was when he was a child in the palace and emissaries from the air nation came to greet the new fire lord, his father , and performed a ceremonial dance for them. The lightness of their feet, and the cool breeze that washed over his 6-year-old face every time they floated near them had always fascinated him in a way that even time couldn't dull. 

"Now Aimi, let us not antagonize our guest who traveled so far and with so much pain just to find us here." He scolded lightly. She had the nerve to blush and look away, fully chastised. Genji smirked, feeling smug. 

"And you, please try not to harass young Aimi too much, she is only trying to help you return to full health as soon as possible." The monk said in a tone of voice that inexplicably reminded genji of his mother whenever he would fight with...with his brother. 

Genji and Aimi stared at each other for a moment before looking away at the painted walls with a short and muted " _ sorry _ ." Before a pleased and tinkling laugh came from the monk. A small smile came to both Genji and Aimi's faces but the second they spotted it on one another, they both scowled. 

The monk walked from behind Genji and stood at the large table filled with medical supplies and a tea set nearby. He made a glass of steaming tea and brought it to Genji. 

Genji took it, hands shaking almost dangerously , but he stubbornly ignored it and the little snort that came from the idiot water tribe girl. He hesitated at the last moment, the tea still almost boiling before the monk waved his palm slightly and the heat diminished greatly. He looked at the smiling monk dreadfully as he took his first sip. Genji didn't realize how thirsty he was until he downed the entire cup in seconds. He didn't have to ask for any more as the monk quickly gave him a chilled water bottle as he came to the realization of his thirst as well. 

"How long have I been unconscious?"Genji asked quietly, holding the empty bottle in his scarred and wrinkly hands. 

"Two weeks." Came Aimi's voice, no longer angry but instead full of something that made Genji look at her. A strange fearful look covered her soft features. " I thought you were going to die when the children came screaming that there was a man on the path to the gates. Your condition was-- well, I didn't know if I could bring you back from that." She said softly before looking away. 

Genji sat in silence before letting out a sigh. 

"Thank you for saving my life. I apologize for my rude behavior earlier. You did not deserve it." He said as he looked into the smooth plastic in his hands. The air in the room picked up slightly in response to his words and the water in his pool splashed against him gently. 

"I'm sorry too. I should have been more patient with you. The monks are still working on my hard head." she laughed. 

The monk beside him came closer and took away his bottle. 

"It is delayed but I should introduce myself. I am Zenyatta, one of the spiritual leaders here in the southern air tribe. It is a pleasure to have you here Genji , and I hope that you find what you're looking for in this place." Zenyatta's voice rang through Genji's ears like melodic wind chimes. 

Genji gave him a small smile, before his lips folded into a frown. His eyes went back to his hands and he flexed them, willing his inner flame to spark in his palms. 

Predictably, nothing happened. 

"I hope so too." 

\-- 

**Author's Note:**

> :eyes: What did you think? Should I quit my day job or retire from writing.
> 
> Be safe!


End file.
